Apple's service options for iPhones have improved since 2007. Back then, long-term repairs meant traveling to an Apple Store and paying the $29US fee for a loaner. Later that month, Apple released the Apple Care Protection Plan for iPhone. Among other things, this plan extends technical support to two years from the date of iPhone purchase, and extends hardware coverage to two years from the same time period.

This week, Apple announced that a specific repair, screen replacement, can be performed at Apple Store Genius Bars while the customer waits. The service is free if your phone is under warranty, otherwise it will cost you $199. Yikes. Of course, "Under Warranty" refers to the date purchased as well as other factors like liquid damage* or jailbreaking.

Here's hoping you won't need this service (hold on tight or buy a case), and if you do, you aren't 200 miles from the nearest Apple Store like yours truly.

Speaking of repairs, we've seen iPhones and iPod touches survive some serious knocks, like a run-in with a pickup truck.

*Note that Apple will let iPhone owners swap their liquid-damaged iPhones for replacements, provided that it succumbed to an out-of-warranty encounter with liquid.This post was about screen repair specifically.

The Clarendon Apple Store in Arlington, VA is closed today as police investigate a shooting that took place there this morning. The Washington Post reports that a woman was injured via a gunshot to the shoulder during an armed robbery attempt. TV station WJLA adds the detail that the victim was an employee who went to answer a knock at the store's rear service door.

I've shopped at the Clarendon store, and the staff has always been unfailingly helpful and courteous. I hope that the victim of the shooting enjoys a complete and prompt recovery, and that the Clarendon team can also recover quickly from what must be a very traumatic experience.

Via jdonels tweet, thanks Chris Anderson.

Mac Daily News and other sources are reporting today on a leaked AT&T memo that states that the company retail stores had their best day ever with the launch of the iPhone 3GS.

"iLaunch day 2009 was one for the record books, as AT&T customers scrambled to get their hands on the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

Here's a look at some of the milestones we achieved:

* Best-ever sales day in our retail stores
* Second-largest traffic day in our retail stores
* Most transactions processed via our IT systems in a single day
* Most upgrade eligibility checks in a single day
* Largest order day in att.com history
* Largest features sales day in att.com history

On this year's launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008's iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008 - all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008's launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours."

If the numbers are accurate, the iPhone blew by most analyst predictions that the iPhone would not sell as well as the 3G iPhone released last summer.

Even better news, numbers like these should give Apple some leverage to force the wireless giant to improve what for many is a mediocre experience using the AT&T network. The iPhone exclusive is up next year, and rumors persist that Apple is talking to other carriers, most notably Verizon.

via Mac Daily News and TechCrunch

You decided to skip the lines on June 19th and now you just have to purchase an iPhone 3GS for yourself. If you're like some of our readers, you've found out the hard way that availability of the latest iteration of iPhone is limited. Wouldn't it be nice to know which Apple Stores actually have the devices in stock before you hop in the Family Truckster, drive through traffic, and only then find out that they're out of iPhones?

The best way to avoid bitter disappointment is to use the newly posted iPhone 3GS availability page on the Apple website. Just select your state (sorry, it's US-only at this time) and a list of all of the Apple stores will appear with little green (got 'em!) or red (sorry...) icons matched to the model of iPhone 3GS that is your current object of desire. In the example shown above, most Colorado Apple Stores seem to have a good selection with the exception of the Twenty Ninth Street store in the People's Republic of Boulder.

Now that you can find out with a quick glance where the 3GS is available, what are you waiting for? Grab that credit card and go!

I was at the Aspen Grove Apple Store in Littleton, CO today for the annual iPhone event, and shot some video while I was there.

In contrast to 2007 and 2008, the lines were much shorter. It appeared that everyone was walking away from the store happy and with an iPhone 3G S in their hands.

I will return later today (or early tomorrow; it depends on how long it takes to activate the new phone) with another tradition -- the unboxing video. Be sure to check back for some unboxing fun!

Apple and AT&T are preparing for the launch of the iPhone 3G S on June 19th by opening their doors early. Specifically, many Apple Stores will be open at 8:00 AM. Of course, the phones will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, so standing in line with your credit card might not guarantee you a handset on launch day. Go through the pre-order process if you're concerned.

Additionally, AT&T stores have setup pre-ordering online, and customers who take advantage will be able to show up at 7:00 AM. For more detail about AT&T's plans, check out Seth's video above.

Good luck, shoppers. Is it crazy that I want the white one?

[Via MacNN]

Clayton Morris noted on his blog Sunday that iPhone 3G demo units have been removed from display at his local Apple store.

While it is not uncommon to see one or two displays missing for various reasons, Clayton noted that there were at least nine units missing from the main iPhone display tables. Couple this with reports from some Apple stores that they have additional staff scheduled for the next couple of weeks (starting today), and you have some pretty good signs that the new iPhone model might just be available today.

[via AppleInsider]

As the sands flow through the hourglass, so appears the yellow sticky. If you doubted that we would see some sort of new product today, well, time to get with the program.

C'mon back at 1pm ET for all the latest updates from the keynote.

If you have purchased a Mac from Apple's online or retail stores in recent years, then you probably were offered a membership in an exclusive club known as "ProCare." ProCare's most valuable assets were advanced placement in the in-store repair queue and initial setup for new Macs, as well as free hour-long training sessions. The service, which debuted in 2004, was changed in 2007 when "One to One" was introduced, effectively splitting ProCare's training benefits into a separate service.

While ProCare is not changing, One to One is being beefed up to offer some new features as well as some new limitations. ProCare's complete Mac setup & data transfer is now included with One to One. Previously, One to One only included a "simple" setup.

Other changes for One to One include exclusive workshops only available to One to One members as well as the new "Personal Projects" session for larger blocks of time. Now members can reserve a session for up to a three hour block of time to create, with an Apple trainer's assistance, "anything ... you can dream up." Similar to workshops, Personal Projects are a group activity in that several members will be present; while a workshop includes members working on the same topic, a project session includes members working on individual and unrelated tasks.

One to One is also now only available with the purchase of a new Mac at an Apple store; this is in contrast to the previous One to One and current ProCare services which could be purchased at any time. One to One memberships are also now only renewable two times for a maximum membership duration of three years. Existing memberships (beginning prior to June 2, 2009) in One to One will be renewable only one time.

You can purchase a new One to One membership along with a new Mac at any Apple Retail store now. According to Apple this service's availability will expand to Apple's online channel in the near future. The question, One to One members, is this: are you happy about the new features of One to One, or do you wish it had not changed? If you aren't already a One to One member, will you be joining the club the next time you purchase a Mac?

New York City's flagship Apple Store, located on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, is doing tremendous business. According to The New York Post, that store raked in $440 million in one year. Of course, the location doesn't hurt. It's right by Central Park and the huge, glass cube is a real tourist draw.

The Post also notes that the SoHo store pulled in $100 million, but didn't provide any stats on the West 14th Street store. In the meantime, construction has begun on what's rumored to be a fourth NYC store, expected to open at the corner of 67th and Broadway on Manhattan's Upper West Side later this year. If that store and a rumored Brooklyn store are opened, NYC would boast six stores total (including the Staten Island store).

Apple intends to open 25 new stores for fiscal year 2009, half of them outside the United States.

[via AppleInsider]

Update: @JoeWilsonTV responded in the comments that Quo Computer is open (telephone number in his comment) and that they are taking orders in the store. The website is supposed to launch next Monday. Thanks Joe!

It seems like it was only last week that Mac clone maker, Psystar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Oh, that WAS last week. Surely, this would be the end of US companies trying to unauthorized Mac clones, right? Right?

Come on, this is America -- that would be too easy. In fact, it took just three days for the next would-be Mac clone retailer to appear.

As CNET reported over the weekend, Quo Computer plans to sell its Mac clone offerings both online and in a retail store in Los Angeles. The retail store was set to open yesterday, June 1, 2009, but I was unable to locate a phone number for the store (and LA's directory assistance didn't have a listing).

The website, though currently just a splash page, will apparently be ready sometime later this week. Apparently three models with OS X Leopard pre-installed will be offered, with pricing set to start below $900.

According to CNET, Quo's founder, Rashantha De Silva, expects that Apple will sue Quo, just as they sued Psystar. Well, at least he isn't completely delusional. More below...

We've been inundated with emails today talking about the two international Apple Store openings.

The first new store is in Zurich, Switzerland. Reader Greg sent us a link to his Flickr gallery with plenty of documentation of the new Bahnhofstrasse store. Here's a pic of part of the huge crowd just before the opening:

Police say an inebriated man threw a brick at the front window of Chicago's Magnificent Mile Apple Store on Tuesday night. The man also broke another window a short distance away.

A Tribune photo shows a single broken panel of glass in front of one of Apple's "giant iPhone" displays. From the photo, it looks as if the brick did not go through the glass, and the display appears unharmed.

Robert Grilly, 61, of Chicago was booked on two misdemeanor counts of criminal property damage, Chicago PD said.

Thanks, Paul!

Chicago's Halsted Street will soon be the site of a unique Apple Store -- the first with three sides exposed. When seated on the odd piece of land, the store will offer visibility from every direction and 650 linear feet of storefront.

As you can see from the map at right, the architects at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson have a tough task ahead with this project. ifoAppleStore.com wants to know, how would you design this store? They're running a contest now to find the most interesting or clever design. Submit your drawing to gary@ifoAppleStore.com by June 15, 2009, and the winner will receive a $100 Apple gift card.

They note that you needn't worry about the store's interiors in your drawing. Note that Apple's chunk of property is 215 feet on Clybourn Ave., 220 feet on Halsted St., 123 feet on W. North Ave., and a curving 81 feet at the back of the transit station.

Have fun and good luck!

For new customers wanting an iPhone 3G, you now have another way to buy it - ordering straight from Apple, an option that hasn't existed since the original iPhone was sold. Online purchasing was taken away with the introduction of the 3G. AT&T brought it back in December, and only now has Apple caught up.

New subscribers can activate their service online, then have their new iPhones shipped straight to their door. Current AT&T customers will need to reserve their iPhones online, then go pick them up at the Apple Store.

As I found out last month, having existing subscribers go in to pick up their iPhone can be a very good move, because things can certainly go wrong. When I went to the Apple Store to pick up my new iPhone 3G, it turns out that when I purchased my original iPhone in November 2007 that they didn't enter it into the system properly. I was nearly charged the full price of the iPhone rather than the subsidized price offered to those who wanted to upgrade from EDGE to 3G. A trip to the nearby AT&T store took care of that, but it was the sort of thing that was far easier to handle in person than over the phone. They were able to pull up my original receipt and override the system so I was recognized as a previous adopter rather than someone just trying to break my original contract.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!